History

The Housing Equality Center got its start in 1956, before the days of fair housing legislation.

At the time, civil rights activist Margaret Collins founded a real estate firm named Friends Suburban Housing, Inc. to help African Americans gain fair access to housing. Meanwhile, another core group of community advocates founded the Southeast Delaware County Area Committee of Friends Suburban Housing. The Committee actively lobbied for fair housing legislation, writing to their legislators, speaking out to the community, publishing public service announcements in local newspapers, writing letters to the editor and even appealing directly to President Lyndon B. Johnson. These individuals not only spoke out against discrimination, they urged neighbors to welcome African Americans into their communities and embrace integration, even at great risk to their own personal safety.

In April of 1968, Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act, also known as the Fair Housing Act, was signed into law. Now with legal backing to support its goals, the Committee increased its efforts over the years, along with the service area in which it operated. As a result, the Committee changed its name several times: to the Committee for Democracy in Housing of Lansdowne and Vicinity in 1957, the Lansdowne-Upper Darby Fair Housing Council in 1976, the Fair Housing Council of Delaware County in 1984 and to the Fair Housing Council of Suburban Philadelphia in 1992.

In 2014, the name changed to the Housing Equality Center of Pennsylvania. While fighting racial discrimination has been an important focus since 1956, today’s efforts extend to combating all types of discrimination, including discrimination against people with disabilities, families with children, senior citizens, refugees and immigrants.

Agency Timeline and Impact

Click the years or headlines below to learn more.

1956

At the time of its founding, the Housing Equality Center’s name was the Southeast Delaware County Area Committee of Friends Suburban Housing. The name changed to the Committee for Democracy in Housing of Lansdowne and Vicinity in 1957, to the Lansdowne-Upper Darby Fair Housing Council in 1976, to the Fair Housing Council of Delaware County in 1984 and to the Fair Housing Council of Suburban Philadelphia in 1992. In 2014, its name changed to the Housing Equality Center. It is the oldest fair housing council in the nation.

1959

In a 1959 newspaper advertisement, the Delaware County Board of Realtors said proposed fair housing laws “endanger your property rights” and “infringe your constitutional rights.” The Housing Equality Center began publishing its own ads to counteract those of the real estate board. A 1961 ad placed by the Housing Equality Center listed the names of hundreds of people supporting open housing. It began by saying that “the brotherhood of Man is more than a phrase. Let’s make this true in our community.”

1963

The Bakers, an African American family, moved into a home in Folcroft, an all-white community, and became the victims of racially-motivated violence from neighbors. Three days of rioting ensued until authorities got the situation under control. Volunteers from the Housing Equality Center helped clean up the Baker’s property and members spoke out against racial discrimination. Mrs. Cary Isard stated, “In all probability, another episode of such magnitude will be avoided through more effective police action. But the underlying causes—the fears and prejudices which make any such action necessary in the first place—can only be removed by bold creative programs and courageous leadership.”

1968

1969

Ora M. Gudnitz, along with her husband and children, moved into an all-white neighborhood in Yeadon, Pennsylvania. The neighbors tried to scare the interracial family away, throwing stones and garbage at their home, as well as ostracizing and physically assaulting the children at school. Just before all hope was gone, the family was invited to a meeting of the Housing Equality Center at founding member Cary Isard’s house. The meeting renewed their faith in humanity and emboldened the family to pursue equal housing rights.

1974

1975

The Carrs, an African American family, attempted to move into an all-white neighborhood in Upper Darby, but they were immediately terrorized by rioting neighbors who vandalized the home. Ultimately, out of fear for their lives, the Carrs decided not to go through with purchasing the home. The Housing Equality Center stepped in and provided financial assistance to the Carrs, who suffered property damage and also lost their nonrefundable deposit on the home. Mrs. Carr wrote to the Housing Equality Center, “Never in our wildest imaginings did we ever think that so many would give so much … thank you all for helping restore our faith in our fellow man.”

1988

1992

When a single mother with three children called an apartment complex in Aston Township, Delaware County, to ask about a three-bedroom unit, the manager told her that local occupancy laws excluded her from renting because her family was too large. The woman contacted Aston Township, inquired about the occupancy law and discovered that no such law existed. She brought this to the attention of the manager, who then advised her to call back when she got a husband. The woman and the Housing Equality Center filed complaints with HUD, claiming both familial status discrimination and gender discrimination. The manager ultimately agreed to a settlement that included a fine, compliance with fair housing laws and other stipulations.

1997

Mike, a 50-year-old man with a learning disability, sought to live in William Henry Apartments in Malvern. The manager at William Henry explained its policy of requiring 3 credit references and no co-signers—a standard Mike would never be able to meet. Despite Mike’s cousin offering to co-sign and pay 3 months security deposit up front, the manager refused and bluntly told Mike’s cousin, “Those type of people should be living with their family.” The Housing Equality Center filed a complaint of housing discrimination with HUD, noting that William Henry should have made a “reasonable accommodation” to its policy so that a person with a disability could enjoy the property in the same way that others could. William Henry settled the complaint and its employees and staff were trained in fair housing laws.

1999

The Housing Equality Center and seven plaintiffs won a jury verdict against Pennsylvania landlord Eliza Keulian. The jury found that Ms. Keulian had discriminated against prospective tenants on the basis of race, color and familial status. She allegedly told prospective renters that their children were diseased and informed an African-American renter “this doesn’t matter anyway, because I don’t rent to blacks.” Ms. Keulian was ordered to sell her property.

On July 8, 1999, two federal district court judges ordered the Trenton-based Journal Register Company (“JRC”) to no longer publish, in any of its newspapers, housing advertisements that expressed a preference for people without children. The ruling came after an eight year battle waged by the Housing Equality Center to end housing advertisements that included discriminatory statements such as “no children,” “adults only” and “one bedroom apartment, one person only,” in violation of the Fair Housing Act. The result of this effort was the complete eradication of housing advertising that illegally denied families with children places to live throughout the Delaware Valley; the opening up of more than 10,000 apartments and homes to families with children in hundreds of communities; and a series of committed actions by the real estate and newspaper industries to end all such illegal practices and advertising in the future.

2001

The Housing Equality Center and the McKee Group voluntarily entered into an agreement to resolve a dispute involving claims that the McKee Group failed to construct dwelling units at Golf View Estates and Fox Hill Farms apartments in compliance with the accessibility requirements for new construction under the federal Fair Housing Act. According to the Fair Housing Act, all multi-family dwellings and common-use areas, designed and built after March 13, 1991, must be accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities, including individuals who use wheelchairs.

2004

The Housing Equality Center was instrumental in bringing Freddie Mac’s national anti-predatory lending consumer awareness campaign to the region through the “Don’t Borrow Trouble Suburban Philadelphia” initiative. The effort was a coalition of over 30 public and nonprofit entities that aim to educate consumers and address predatory lending issues on a regional scale. Predatory lending is when a lender uses unfair, illegal or deceptive practices to take advantage of someone trying to borrow money.

The Housing Equality Center was awarded a three-year Fair Housing Organizations Initiatives contract from HUD to work with the Community Legal Aid Society, Inc. (CLASI). Under this grant, the Housing Equality Center provided training and technical assistance to help CLASI provide fair housing enforcement services to underserved rural, disabled, homeless, Hispanic and non-English speaking populations throughout Delaware. The Housing Equality Center was one of only two grant recipients, reflecting HUD’s confidence in the work and commitment of its staff.

The Housing Equality Center sponsored the “Keepers of the Dream” conference during Fair Housing Month. The Housing Equality Center’s Executive Director, Jim Berry, received an award at the conference from HUD Assistant Secretary Carolyn Peoples in recognition of his decades of outstanding service and his commitment to fair housing and to HUD.

2006

The Housing Equality Center, along with three homeowners and several other fair housing groups, settled a lawsuit against Prudential Insurance after finding evidence that Prudential was engaging in racial discrimination—a violation of the federal Fair Housing Act. An investigation in suburban Philadelphia—comparing the predominantly African-American West End of the City of Chester with predominantly white neighborhoods surrounding Chester—verified that Prudential was restricting, limiting or denying homeowners insurance in predominantly African-American, Latino and integrated neighborhoods.

2007

The Housing Equality Center’s Assistant Director, Rachel Wentworth, won HUD’s first-ever contest to design a fair housing mascot that would appeal to children. Her design for Franklin, the Fair Housing Fox symbolizes the nation’s efforts to end housing discrimination and is used in educational outreach to children.

The Housing Equality Center settled a complaint against Hill House Apartments for violating the disability provision of the federal Fair Housing Act and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act. Hill House is an eleven-story apartment building, located in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia, that had a “no wheelchair user” policy.

2010

Shortly after adopting a son, Robin Link was notified by her Bucks County landlords, Charles and Patricia Trucksess, that they were terminating her lease and that she and her son needed to make plans to vacate their apartment immediately. In 2010, the Housing Equality Center and Ms. Link settled federal housing discrimination complaints against the Trucksesses for $40,000.

2012

In 2011, a Lancaster real estate developer and landlord, Ecklin Group, began refusing to rent to refugees. The Housing Equality Center and a local refugee resettlement program, Lutheran Children and Family Service (LCFS), documented the discriminatory practice and presented the evidence to HUD, which then investigated. Ecklin Group denied discriminating, claiming that the reasons for the non-renewal of refugee leases included noise violations, offensive odors, complaints from other tenants and roaches and mice. According to HUD, the investigation showed that only Burmese tenants received lease non-renewal letters, even though Ecklin Group had similar concerns about other tenants. As a result of the House Equality Center, LCFS and HUD’s efforts, Ecklin Group signed an agreement in September 2012, ending their discriminatory policy, and a Burmese family was allowed to remain in their apartment. In addition, Ecklin Group agreed to have all its employees complete fair housing training and to pay LCFS $12,000.

Margaret Collins: 1908-2006

Margaret Collins’ civil rights work inspired what is today the oldest fair housing organization in the United States, the Housing Equality Center.

Margaret H. Collins, a Quaker and a native of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, was a pioneer in fighting housing discrimination and lobbying for fair housing legislation. The daughter of a wealthy Philadelphia paper manufacturer, Collins was born in 1908 and educated at Sarah Lawrence College, the University of California at Berkeley and Bryn Mawr College, where she did graduate work in social research. In 1956, before the days of fair housing legislation, Collins founded a real estate firm named Friends Suburban Housing, Inc., with the mission of selling homes without regard to color.

Margaret Collins faced immense challenges in her endeavor to promote freedom in housing. She often showed houses in all-white neighborhoods to African American families at night, to avoid harassment from neighbors. She attempted to join the Main Line Board of Realtors three times in order to access a comprehensive list of properties for sale in the area, but was rejected each time. Convinced that the rejection was based on the color of her clients, she sued the board for illegal restraint of trade and won.

Although Margaret Collins was highly regarded as a pioneer in advocating for fair housing within the region, she never regarded herself as such, stating that, “I wasn’t any pioneer—the black person was the pioneer.”

A tireless advocate for racial equality, she continued her efforts until her death in 2006.